


It takes time to move on

by Runners



Category: The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2020-06-02 03:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19432669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runners/pseuds/Runners
Summary: When Teresa wakes up in a destroyed city and finds Newt she has to gain his trust to survive. Meanwhile in Safe Heaven their friends try to move on and find happiness.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

*BRENDA*

It felt as if her eyes were burning. They watered and reddened, but she didn't let the tears fall. She wanted to punch someone instead. She felt trapped on the island, even though, in reality, she'd never been this free.

She could still see Newt's body with a dagger sticking out of his chest.

Had she been a few seconds faster none of it would have happened. Thomas wouldn't have looked at her as if someone had ripped his heart out, Minho wouldn't have cried like a baby, Gally wouldn't have stood there as if someone knocked all air out of him.

Her tears had wetted her face then. She wouldn't let them come again.

It'd been three days since they arrived, but Thomas hadn't woken up yet. They couldn't be sure if he would.

Most of the kids began celebrating, but Brenda couldn't get herself to get out of bed. Her hair was oily, and she stank to no one's surprise, but no matter how much Jorge would bully her about it she couldn't stand up for longer than a minute before crumbling to her knees.

Jorge would bring her tea that she'd let get cold instead of drinking it. He never yelled, only mocked her sometimes, but she knew it was his way of taking care of her.

On the fourth day, Brenda woke up suffocating to her own smell. She had to hide under a blanket from the sun, but she couldn't breathe there either.

"Apestoso!" She heard Jorge enter her hut. He had that annoying, sassy tone that she couldn't handle at the moment.

As expected he lifted the blanket off of her so abruptly, Brenda almost fell off the bed.

"Get out," she groaned. And then Jorge splashed her with cold water. "What the fuck?!"

"Now, will you go take a shower, or should I bring soup in here too?"

*NEWT*

The first thing that got to him was an awful, piercing pain in his chest and left side. He tried to open his eyes, but it was too bright.

"Don't squirm so much." He knew that voice. For once in days he was sure that the flare was not messing with him then.

"Get off me!" he screamed but had no strength to defend himself. He couldn't even move his left hand due to the numbness that spread through his limb.

He felt a needle being pushed into the skin of his forearm before something hit him in the head, and he passed out again.

*Gally*

He'd been working in the sun for days, and it got him his tan back. He honestly missed this kind of life - working for everyone instead of under someone. Once again he felt like he, and what he did, mattered. He knew it wouldn't be easy and he didn't expect it to be. What he expected was suspicion, which so far he received too little to believe it real. He awaited Thomas' awakening, so questioning and the start of making amends would finally begin.

Ah, yes. Waiting for it was definitely the worst.

He was left with enough free time to let his mind wander. And that got him anxious. It made him remember the anguish he felt as his lung was pierced, and he was left behind to die alone. It made him remember seeing Chuck's face - all red and puffy as he desperately tried to brief. When he closed his eyes, he could still see Newt lying on the sidewalk, not moving.

All that thinking of people he once knew, made his mind remember the Glade, and the huge walls and the names written all over them. He wondered if those walls still stood there - tall and arcane as he once thought them to be.

And that's when he got an idea.

*Teresa*

She had many reasons to help Newt, get him out of that alley, and patch him up. Carrying him was not one of them. He was much heavier than he looked and better built than she expected him to be.

She prayed she wouldn't bump into any crank on the way to her place. She hoped that the building still stood.

Her back hurt as well as her limbs, but she didn't stop, not even for a second. Soon she saw a petite, compared to others, building, and almost cried at the sight of it.

She recalled the day she arrived in Denver, and after a week Ava gave her the key.

'You cannot keep sleeping on a chair in the waiting room.' She recalled the woman's words. She trembled at the recollection of her body in the pool of blood. Shaking her head, Teresa kicked the door to the building open and dragged Newt to the elevator.

The key to her apartment was under the mat, as always. She noticed all her neighbors must have fled as soon as cranks entered, and the 'revolution' began. Not that she could blame them. She was thinking of running soon too.

The doors on that floor were all left opened. She could only hope things worth 'borrowing' were left behind.'

She dragged Newt inside her house and laid him on a small, turquoise couch as it was closer than the bed. His long legs were dangling at the other end, but she was just glad to get her off her back. Literally.

She went to the bathroom and washed her hands, and then grabbed the aid kid Doctor Wilson told her to put together.

'In the world like this one, you cannot ever think of something as useless.'

So Teresa's aid kid was actually a huge suitcase filled to the brim with bandages, stitches, medications, vaccines, antibiotic ointment, heat and ice packs, and flare serum that would give an infected person a month at most.

She grabbed a pair of scissors and cut through Newt shirt to examine the wound. As she predicted, it didn't look too deep or lethal. His chest was covered in dried down blood, and for a moment, she thought that was the reason why she couldn't see dark veins covering his body. She quickly understood the serum she had injected Newt with was working.

She focused back on the wound. She cleaned it all around the dagger, and as delicately as she could, she took it out.

Teresa heard a soft whimper escaped past Newt lips, but he did not wake up.

When she stitched the wound and put a bandage on it, she began to wonder what to do next. She knew she couldn't do much with Newt unconscious. Hell, she didn't know how to find Thomas without him. However, she didn't want him to wake up just yet. She had to figure out the way to convince him she was on his sides.

If there still were sides.

*Brenda*

She let Jorge drag her outside, and even showered as he requested. She put on fresh clothes and wandered with her head still wet around Safe Heaven.

She spotted Gally talking to Vince, Frypan sitting with some kids and having dinner probably, and last she saw Minho by the ocean staring into the horizon.

"And here I thought the only view you found worthy to stare at was your own reflection." He chuckled turned to look at her.

"Not pitying yourself anymore?"

"Who said I was pitying? I was relaxing after having to save your sorry ass." Minho's smirk cracked for a brief second.

"Well, vacation's over. Let's go gully." He moved past her.

"Let's go what now?"

*Newt*

Newt woke up to complete darkness and an awful headache. He tried to press his palm against his forehead, but couldn't. Looking down, he noticed his hands were tied by a long rope that also tied his ankles.

"What the bloody hell-"

"So you're awake." Newt turned his head to see Teresa sitting on an armchair, sipping tea from an enormous mug.

He tried to think of anything to say to her but found himself speechless.

"I thought hell would look more like the maze," he spoke up at last.

"Hate to break it to you, but you're still on Earth." She bent to put the mug on the floor next to the armchair. "Now, promise you'll behave, and I'll untie your hands and make you some tea. Maybe even something to eat."

His stomach almost flipped at the mention of a dish, but he couldn't trust her not to poison it. As if she read his mind Teresa said,

"Don't look at me like a scared little cat. If I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn't have stitched you up." She pointed at his chest. He looked down and noticed the stitches in the place a dagger was once sticking out of.

Imagines of a previous night came back, flooding his thoughts. Flare taking control over his senses, Thomas caring him on his back, begging Tommy to kill him, attacking his friend with a dagger. It was too much. Too much information at the same time and he groaned as his headache grew stronger.

Teresa was immediately by his side, examining him. He tried to tear her hands off of his face, but she hissed at him to stop, and he was too tired to fight even her.

She left him for a few moments and came back with a glass of water and two pills.

"I'm not taking any of your shit," he hissed.

"Fine," she told him firmly. "Writhe in pain if you wish." She shrugged.

He felt like spitting in her face then. He wasn't sure, if it was the flare or if Teresa had that effect on him.

He took a moment to think about what she had just told him and opened his mouth to take the pills.

"Now, do smashed eggs and toasts sound good?"

*Gally*

"So what do you think?" he asked.

"I like it," Vince nodded with a smile. "Might be a while before any of us is Micheal Angelo enough to chisel a monument. Besides, our friends deserve to be honored as soon as possible." He said it with such sadness Gally began wondering who he could have lost.

"Good that." Gally nodded, deciding against dwelling on the subject. He only made a silent note to ask about that Angelo guy.

"I really appreciate what you did for this place by the way."

It was true that since their arrival Gally did everything to keep himself busy, and that meant fixing everything whether it was a barn, a hut or a table Gally had been taking care of it all.

"Nah, that's... I don't like being useless. Besides, I used to do all this back in the Glade." Vince hummed. Gally could tell there was something on his mind.

"I heard," he started, "That back in the maze you used to have bonfires. I thought we could make it an annual thing here."

"Sounds good."

"So you'd help out?"

"Whatever you need."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That took a while, didn't it?  
> Yeah… Sorry for that.  
> Anyway, enjoy ;)

_Teresa_

She could feel Newt's eyes burning into the back of her shirt, watching, waiting for her to make a wrong move. That was probably the reason why her hands were constantly shaking, her breath hitching in her throat.

She never really got to know Newt. He always seemed calm, careful, but also smart, yet there he was half-sitting, half-lying on the couch in her apartment, looking completely paranoid. Not that she could blame him. She only wondered whether it was him being extra careful or were those bits of the flare still corrupting his mind that made him all quaky.

She bit the inside of her cheek and turned the stove off. The eggs were ready.

In a hurry, she made two toasts for him and put them on a plate with the scrambled eggs. She handed him the dish and watched as he eyed it. Once again that evening she felt the need to groan.

When they had been _saved_ and taken to the safe place, inside the compound food had been waiting on a huge, wooden table and he hadn't thought twice before he and the rest practically threw themselves at it. How was eating her food any different?

Just as she was about to say something, he took the plate.

_Minho_

For him days were blurry. He'd get up early every morning woken up by nightmares. Sometimes he'd see grievers, other times walls of the maze closing around him, but nothing was worse than seeing Newt's body unmoving on the ground.

So he did the only thing that always managed to calm him down - he ran. And mornings were the perfect time to do so. Sun would be barely up when he ran around the camp. The crisp air was perfect to cool his nerves even if only for a moment.

It didn't help that Thomas was still in a coma. He had already lost Newt, he couldn't lose Thomas too.

He ran faster at the thought.

_Brenda_

She awaited the bonfire. There wasn't much to celebrate - at least not for her, but she missed the oblivion alcohol brought. She'd heard from Fry that Gally intended to make some of his special _moonshine_ for the party. She just hoped for the time to finally come.

"You don't like it?" Frypan's question woke her up from her daze.

"Huh?" She looked down at her plate. She hadn't touched any of the food yet. "No, I... I doze off, I guess." She shrugged.

"Well, I'm starving!" He grinned, but it was evident he forced it. "Eat up before I steal your bacon!"

"Dream on!" And she took a bite. It was salty and crispy, so good that Brenda realized she'd been starving. She took another bite and moaned just as Minho showed up by their table.

"I missed you too, Bren!" He winked at her. She rolled her eyes but continued to eat.

It wasn't long before they were joined by Jorge and Gally and the peace was gone.

_Newt_

Even though he was famished, he forced himself to eat slowly. Most of his focus was on Teresa. He could see it freaked her out and it made him a bit too happy - for that he blamed the bits of flare that were still in him.

She clearly tried to ignore his stare, while she ate her own meal. Her eyes were practically glued to her fork. And then Newt started coughing.

He dropped his plate on the floor as he shook. His throat felt as if someone scrubbed it with sandpaper. A hand hit his back once, twice... Until he was able to breath again.

He greedily inhaled. He could only see black for the first few minutes.

"God, you're burning up!" Newt heard Teresa murmur by his side. That was when he realized she had her palm on his forehead and a hand on his shoulder. He immediately brushed her hands off of him. "Stop being so childish!" she groaned. "Can't you see I'm trying to help you?"

"If it weren’t for you I wouldn't need help at all!" It was so unlike him to raise his voice that Teresa indeed took a step back.

"Screw you! I was doing the right thing!"

"Really? So torturing your _friends_ while you live like a bloody princess is doing the right thing?"

"You can think of me whatever you want, but it won't change the fact that I've found the cure!"

"This doesn't change anything! The city's fallen! You haven't shuckin' saved anyone!"

"I saved you!"

They were both breathing heavily at this point, glaring at each other.

"We both know you only did that so I could show you the way to save heaven," he huffed.

Teresa broke the eye contact, visibly tired. She shook her head and went to the kitchen. She came back with a glass of water and a pill.

"Take it," she ordered. He gave her an annoyed look.

"I'm not-" Newt started, but Teresa quickly cut him off.

"We've already established I need to get to the Safe Heaven hence I need you alive, therefore I won't poison you!" she sighed. She was too exhausted for this. He could at least cooperate a tiny bit. She saved him and had been trying to keep him alive, so not fighting her on literally everything was the least he could do. "Now swallow the pill, before I shove it down your throat."

To her surprise, Newt did as she said.

_Minho_

He could barely see anything as he headed for the showers for his dump hair was stuck to his forehead, partially covering his eyes. His limbs were too tired to even move the fringe.

Their showers were divided into two barely standing buildings - one for girls and the other for guys. At this hour no one was usually there, so it took him by surprise when he heard water running as he entered.

At first, he didn't pay much attention to it. Someone was washing up - _so what?_ He took off his clothes, left them on a windowsill next to the ones of another guy and walked inside the showers area.

The first thing he saw was a naked girl, sitting against the wall with her knees against her chest. Muffled sobs were leaving her plumb lips, and for a few seconds, Minho was stuck.

He should have left, he knew that, but his legs refused to move. He stood there, his mind completely blank. He should have spoken up, let her know he was here or leave before she notived him. The second one seemed easier, but as it turned out it was already too late for that. Her eyelashes flattered, and her eyes settled on him. A soundless gasp left her mouth, but just like him she was seemed stuck.

He couldn’t get rid of the feeling that she seemed familiar – too familiar.

"S-sorry.” It hit him he had been staring at her like a creep for solid few minutes then. He turned around and left as quickly as his tired limbs let him.

He would have left the building naked if he hadn’t tripped over her clothes. He quickly put his own on not carrying how dirty they were. And when he was out of the building he ran again.

_Gally_

"Here." He handed Fry a cup of a newly made moonshine. "Ya think it will do for tomorrow?" He watched his friend take a sip and grimace.

"It's as crappy as always," Fry laughed and patted Gally on the back. Something about that statement brought Gally back to the old days when the only thing that could make them forget the cruel reality was his drink. A sad smile formed on his lips and he poured a cup for himself.

"To the better days?" He raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Fry, and when the other boy laughed again, he tasted the alcohol, welcoming the burning sensation in his throat.

"What are you guys doing?" He turned to see Brenda coming up to them, and his lips twitched.

"Making sure the moonshine's strong enough for everyone to drink their worries away tomorrow."

"Why wait?" She smirked and sat next to them. Gally gave her his cup and watched her swallow everything to the last drop. His eyes widened, and he put a hand on her arm to make her slow down. "Don't worry; I know how to hold my liquor." She quickly added, "This one's pretty bad, though."

"I got the other impression," he snickered, and soon was pouring all of them another round. Brenda and Fry didn’t wait for him to even start his drink, when they were already finishing theirs. His gaze lingered on them for a moment and he smiled against the edge of a cup, before he drank everything inside.

_Newt_

"I need to pee," he confessed, while Teresa was washing the dishes. He was pretty sure he heard a plate crash on the floor.

"Shit," she mumbled loud enough for him to hear.

"So... will you untie me or do I have to pee here?"

She groaned but walked over to him. Before she untied him, she pointed at a door and said, "It's right there. Might wanna shower while you're in there." Newt grimaced but didn't say anything.

Teresa didn’t wait for him to get up as she quickly returned to the kitchen to finish washing the dishes. Part of him was glad she wasn’t going to babysit him as he recalled the times Alby, Clint or Jeff would do exactly that when his leg was broken.

He shook his head – it wasn’t the right time to think about it.

He slowly stood up, prepared for the head rush that almost made him fall back on the couch. He soon found out he would need more of Teresa’s pills as his vision was spinning and head throbbing, making him bump into a wall on his way.

Any other time he would have been embarrassed, but all he could focus on was pain as he slid down the wall.

“Newt?” He thought he heard Teresa call out to him before the world turned dark again.


	3. Chapter 3

*Newt* 

It was surprising how a bit of hot water and lack of Teresa in the same room managed to calm him so quickly. While he washed, he noticed the veins on his body were beginning to fade. Well, one less thing to worry about for now. - He thought. 

He wondered how much time he had, what Teresa's plan was. A thought entered his mind - what if that was another trial?

Teresa knocked on his door and said, "I got some clean clothes for you."

And so the peace was gone.

He sighed and got out of the shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist and opened the bathroom door for Teresa. The clothes she held in both in her hands were folded perfectly and looked freshly ironed. Could it be another trial?- He thought again. 

She stood before him, trembling slightly. He wondered if it was because she was scared because she was hiding something.

Before he knew it, his body was moving, and he launched himself at her. He pinned her to the nearest wall with his forearm against her throat. 

The clothes she prepared for him laid wrinkled on the floor then, and Teresa's eyes danced all around Newt's face with fear.

"What are you playing at?" His voice was raspier than usually. He barely recognized it himself. "Is this another trial?!" he snapped.

"Newt," she whispered, "You can't stress it, or the serum will wear off sooner." But he didn't care. He couldn't care. For all, he knew it could have been a simulation. Even if it was real, it could have been another trial. Teresa played him once, before, she played all of them, and he wasn't about to make the same mistake. 

Seeing he wasn't backing off, she added, "It's not a trial."

Newt only scoffed. One sentence from her wouldn't fool him.

"Look out the window then!" Her outburst was unexpected enough for Newt to loosen his hand, and so she continued. "The city is burning down! WICKED doesn't exist anymore!" she yelled in his face. "Kill me if you want. Good luck making it on your own, asshole." He frowned. He should have thought about his options more before he attacked her. 

She was right. 

What could he do? He was sick and wounded. He didn't know the city or whatever was left of it. He didn't know how to stitch himself up again if his stitches didn't last. He needed her, and she knew that. And he wasn't a killer anyway.

"Or you can put those clothes on, and help me get you to Tom." He let her go but stayed close enough to strike if needed.

"And why do you want to get to Safe Heaven so badly, huh? Everyone bloody hates you there."

"I guess you'll be my bargaining chip then."

*Minho*

Everyone was too loud for him. He wondered why he even bothered to come to the party in the first place. He looked at the jar Gally gave him earlier and took a sip of a brownish liquid. It burnt his throat enough to make him grimace. That's why. He rolled his eyes at himself, ready for another sip - anything to drown the awful yells from around the fire. Just then, a familiar blond head appeared in his view. The girl noticed his stare and walked up to him.

"WICKED got your tongue?!" she mocked and whipped the jar off his hand. The liquid spilled on both on their hands, but she didn't seem bothered by it. She brought the glass to her mouth and gulped it all down. She sighed after swallowing it all and pushed the jar back in his hand. "What? You've never seen a naked gal before," she snorted and walked away.

Minho watched her go until she disappeared in the crowd. She looked and behaved too smug for someone who cried naked in the showers just hours ago. If she hadn't confirmed it, Minho wouldn't have guessed that it was the same person. Her hair was no longer a mess, instead, it was tied in a thick braid. 

I need another drink. - He thought to himself. 

*Gally*

He was dizzier than usually at this time of the bonfire, and he blamed Brenda for it. He blamed her and her idea for the before-party. All the noise around him was blurring, and he could barely feel Frypan's arm resting on his shoulder. But he couldn't deny he had fun.

He was far beyond being just tipsy, and everything humored him way too much. But was it such a bad thing after everything he went through? Probably not. So he raised his jar and leaned on Frypan's side and drank even more.

"I'll get some more bacon," Fry shouted to him and stumbled to the kitchen. Gally was left alone, unsure if Fry would even reach the kitchen and not pass out on his way there.

He walked alone through the crowd. He noticed Vince going around the fire, making sure no one hat too much fun. He nodded to Gally when he saw him, and so did Gally.

He was starving, and the thought of bacon made his mouth water, but Fry remained out of sighed.

I should have gone with the shank. - He thought.

Surprising even himself, he smiled when he saw people dance, even though no music was playing. He decided to sit on the rocks on the side. Vince had brought everyone on the island while he was in the city helping fight WICKED. It hasn't even been a week, but most of them seemed to have forgotten the trial, their mazes, and glades. They seemed like they enjoyed the freedom - something Gally desired too. Yet, every time he thought he was rid of his nightmares, his chest would sting, or he'd hear Chuck's cries or see Newt's ghostly face in his head. He wondered how long the shadow of WICKED would hunt his mind. He had no idea how long he sat there sulking, but when he felt a hand on his shoulder, he expected to see Fry. 

"Wanna wrestle?" Brenda asked.

"Sure." He smirked. It was one thing he sure was good at. He followed Brenda through the crowd, but he couldn't see the wrestling circle like the one they had in the Glade. They were slowly getting farther from the party and coming closer to the campus. "Where are we goi-" He didn't get to finish as he was pushed. His back hit the nearest wall of a wooden house. Before he could comprehend what was happening, Brenda's lips were on his.

Her mouth tasted of his moonshine, and after the first wave of shock had passed, he put his hand on her cheek and brought her closer. She licked his upper lip, and his mouth opened for her, allowing her tongue to slip inside. He had never kissed anyone before, so he let her guide him as her tongue danced with him.

She broke the kiss the moment he could no longer breathe, and only his pants were heard between them.

"So that's what you meant by wrestling..." He didn't yet have control of his voice, but at least his mind was less clouded after a few seconds, so he managed to put a sentence together.

She laughed at him, but he didn't hear any mockery in her voice. "I meant so much more." Brenda grabbed the collar of his shirt and guided him inside.

*Teresa*

When Newt locked himself in the bathroom again, did she finally exhale. She was so mad at him for attacking her when all she did was save his life. She didn't need his trust, but she needed to be sure this wouldn't happen again, or they wouldn't even make it out of the city. 

Teresa straightened her shirt and moved away from the wall to the kitchen. She needed a cup of coffee to calm herself. 

When Avan first treated her to coffee, it left beater taste on her tongue, making her believe she wouldn't reach for the beverage again. The second time she was offered a cup, it was in a small cafe a few streets away from WICKED's skyscraper. A guy from work - ironically his name was Tom - asked her out, and for some reason unbeknownst to her, Ava thought it was a good idea, so she let them get off work early. This time, she added what seemed like half a sugar bowl, and since then she was hooked on the taste. The coffee was not the only reason why she didn't get any sleep that night.

She could hear the door to the bathroom open again, and with the corner of her eye, she watched as Newt got out. He seemed out of place like he had no idea what to do with himself. It almost made Teresa smirk.

Coffee poured itself to her favorite cup from a coffee machine she'd miss the most from this flat after they'd leave. Meanwhile, she subdued the light and pulled the shades, so no one would notice the light coming through the windows. Being attacked was the last thing they needed at this point.

Teresa felt Newt's gaze on her back. It made an unpleasant shiver ran down her spine, but she chose to ignore it as long as he kept his distance.

"You can sleep on the couch," she said when she returned to the kitchen. She took her time adding sugar to her beverage.

"When will we leave?" he asked, clearly impatient.

"In a day or two." She stirred her coffee without making a sound. "I'll go to the nearest pharmacy and grocery store tomorrow and get us some supplies for the road. Hopefully, the rebels won't reach this part of the city until then."

"Why not leave sooner?" He crossed his arms, and for a moment he looked like himself as he put his weight on one leg and bent the other.

"You need more time to heal." He opened his mouth to protest, but she was quicker. "Unless you want to die on the road?" She raised her eyebrow. When only silenced follow, she brought the cup to her mouth with a smirk. Before she tasted it, she added in a whisper, "That's what I thought."


End file.
